


SAFE

by CoraisAndTony



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Pepper Pott's POV, drabbles from tumblr, vague descriptions of depression from an outside observers perspective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:47:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28491903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoraisAndTony/pseuds/CoraisAndTony
Summary: Just a little drabble I wrote after Endgame to reconcile the change in heart that Pepper shows.She spent so long fighting Iron Man, fighting the superhero part of the man she loved. Why couldn't he just retire and hang up the suits? Unfortunately, like most things in life, it was only after she got her wish that she realized she never wanted it in the first place.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	SAFE

She just wanted him to be safe. Ever since Pepper first met Tony, she had wanted him to be safe. At first, it was part of her job. He was her boss, so of course he needed to be safe. Years went by and slowly Tony wormed his way into her heart like no one ever had. Safe. Safe. Safe. That's what she wanted. Then Afghanistan happened and when he returned she had hoped it was the last time he was in danger. Instead, he became Iron Man and after that, danger followed him everywhere the suit went.  
It caused them so many issues. Why couldn't he just be safe? Give up the suit and the hero work, come home to her for good, and be SAFE. She loved him so goddamn much. She only ever wanted his safety.  
-  
-  
Until he walked out of a space ship half dead. Until he gave up on everything, turned his back on the world. Until he gave it all up and they moved to their cabin to raise Morgan.  
For 5 long years, he was as safe as any man could possibly be.  
And slowly, she began to realize something she never had before. She had never wanted him to be safe. She had wanted him to be happy. Because she was happy when she was safe and she thought it would be the same for him.  
But he had been happy in his suit and in danger. He had been happy when the world and all its dangers were pointing at him. He was happy when he stood between certain death and protecting those he loved. But now... now he was safe and... not happy. Not happy by a long shot.  
In their ivory tower of glass and metal and technology, Tony Stark had seemed larger than life, like the sun only shined because it reflected off him. Yet here in their cabin of wood and cozy furnishings, he was dim. Empty. Like everything that made him Tony Stark had been scooped out and replaced with blankness.  
And she still loved him. Oh god, she loved him. But he wasn't Tony anymore. He was someone else, someone lost and hollow. He smiled more often but less brightly, he slept more but seemed sluggish. He ate more but less enthusiastically. He wasn't... he wasn't happy.  
So when he mentioned one night about time travel, of going back and stopping Thanos, when he mentioned that he had discovered something that could undo the horrors of their world... She knew what she had to do.  
For once, she had to let him be unsafe. Yes, he could die. Oh, she knew it in her heart that at least one of the avengers would not survive this. It might be Tony. But she knew, had known for years, that Tony was never ever meant to be safe. He was meant to be happy. And she could only hope that this, this would make him happy. And she loved him. Oh god did she love him. So she told him to do it, kissed him as he left, and began praying. Praying he would be happy once again.


End file.
